RemoveDEBRIS consortium captures space junk with harpoon

18th February 201910:46 am21st February 201912:30 pm

An international consortium led by the Surrey Space Centre has deployed the harpoon on its test satellite to capture space debris in orbit.

RemoveDEBRIS is a small satellite mission to test four technologies integral to removing space junk. Designed by Airbus UK in Stevenage, the harpoon is the third experiment to be successfully trialled, following tests of a debris-catching net as well as a LiDAR and camera-based vision navigation system. In the latest test, a metal target panel was suspended from a 1.5m boom deployed from the main satellite and the harpoon was fired at 20m per second to penetrate the simulated debris.

“This is RemoveDEBRIS’ most demanding experiment and the fact that it was a success is testament to all involved,” said Professor Guglielmo Aglietti, director of the Surrey Space Centre at the University of Surrey.

“The RemoveDEBRIS project provides strong evidence of what can be achieved with the power of collaboration – pooling together the experience across industry and the research field to achieve something truly remarkable.”

Alongside Surrey Space Centre and Airbus UK, the project also involves Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), France’s ArianeGroup, Switzerland’s CSEM, Dutch firm Innovative Solutions in Space, French and German divisions of Airbus and South Africa’s Stellenbosch University. The 100kg satellite was launched to the ISS onboard a SpaceX Dragon resupply mission on April 2 2018, then deployed from the space station on June 20 that year. Its final experiment in March 2019 will see RemoveDEBRIS deploy a drag sail that will pull it into the Earth’s atmosphere to burn up, a technique that could be used in future to de-orbit large pieces of space debris or inactive satellites.

“Space debris can have serious consequences for our communications systems if it smashes into satellites,” said universities and science minister Chris Skidmore. “This inspiring project shows that UK experts are coming up with answers for this potential problem using a harpoon, a tool people have used throughout history.”

Wouldn’t it have been better to not litter space in the first place? Man has already demonstrated their lack of considering their future impact on the planet (plastic litter/fly-tipping etc)so what happens to man when their endeavours fail?

First of all, if the object had not been held by the 1.5 M boom the harpoon hitting it would simply have knocked it away and not penetrated it. I have a much better idea especially for catching smaller parts which are the main concern. My idea is to use a cochlear shell shaped satellite. It would have to be reasonably large, but the idea is to have it placed in front of any floating items and they will enter inside and follow the internal spiral shape. This will allow the item to slow down inside and will not penetrate the material of the satellite. I have tried contacting ESA with no reply saying they are having technical problems with their e mail! and shut it down.

Surely if the harpoon would just knock it away, a bullet would just knock the target out of the way, it doesn’t. its all to do with inertia, hit any target with enough force and penetration will occur before movement of the target.

Real problem is with the ” Shrapnel ” – smaller debris which are impractical to collect as individual items, and more difficult to detect and avoid by spaceships. Martins idea is a good one, or maybe even an unfold able Kevlar sail to kill objects speed so they fall to earth and burn up in the atmosphere

Instead of spending untold millions clearing space debris, someone might turn their expertise to clearing the debris that is littering our roadside verges. With the brilliant minds that we no doubt have, why cant someone come up with a foolproof way of sheeting down the trucks belonging to firms such as Veolia instead of allowing the drivers to haphazardly tie a tarp over the load and letting half of the rubbish spread itself all over our countryside.

Since it is so costly and environmentally damaging to put metal objects into orbit isn’t there a case for pulling debris together into an orbiting scrapyard. The collection could then be mined at some later date to create useful orbiting objects. Clearly we would need to have new professions of space welder or space foundry worker!